Marketing segments

History and Culture Segment

Malta and Gozo are situated in the heart of the Mediterranean, at the crossroads of civilisations. The cultural heritage of the Maltese islands is truly unique as it mirrors 7,000 years of history. The major prehistoric temples and sites, as well as Valletta are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Maltese islands have a very rich calendar of cultural events spread throughout the year and the visual arts are very vibrant. The History & Culture Segment aims to promote Malta’s heritage, the arts, urban culture, rural culture, folklore and traditions, contemporary culture, pilgrimage tourism as well as gastronomic tourism.

This Segment is actively present at specialised archaeology, culture, as well as pilgrimage tourism fairs in Europe. Representatives of this Segment regularly meet specialised tour operators during sales calls in Malta’s main tourism markets as well as during workshops which are very often linked to specialised fairs. Joint promotional efforts are held with specialised tour operators who cater for the highly motivated and discerning type of tourist.

Particular attention is devoted to the specialised media be it the press, internet, television and radio. Special themed press trips are organised for journalists and photographers in order to underline Malta’s unique cultural heritage. Specialised advertising highlighting Malta’s history and culture is also conducted in Malta’s core markets be it in the press, internet or on radio.

The History & Culture Segment strongly believes that Malta can be promoted abroad through its art, music and culture. For this purpose the segment helps in the setting up of exhibitions abroad which highlight Malta’s rich heritage and its contemporary art scene.

The co-ordination between the numerous public cultural institutions and NGO’s of Malta and Gozo and the Malta Tourism Authority is carried out by the History & Culture Segment within MTA.

These initiatives are all aimed at raising awareness about Malta’s MICE offer and bringing MICE business to the Maltese Islands. The MTA also monitors international market trends to identify opportunities, which could help Malta gain more business from this sector.

The MTA also runs a Quality Assurance Seal for local Destination Management Companies, so as to recognise those DMCs which have a proven commitment towards quality and high standards in this sector.

In 2012, Malta received 1,443,974 tourists, out of these 103,800 came for sports related activities. 84,260 came to Malta for diving purposes, while 19,540 came to Malta for ‘Other Sports’.

In 2012, for ‘other sports’ the main market was the UK one, which provided 8,330 sports tourists. Some other figures for sports tourists include 1,620 from Germany, 2,120 from the Scandinavian countries, 800 from Switzerland, 590 from Spain and 4,750 from other countries.

Sports tourism in Malta can be split into three different categories. The first category is what is known as an ‘Active Holiday’, the second category is referred to as ‘Sports Events’ and the last category is under the heading of ‘Training Camps’.

Under the ‘Active Holiday’ heading, one would find outdoor activities such as walking, trekking, rock-climbing, abseiling, cycling and all water sports.

In the category ‘Sports Events’ we can find two different types which can be classed as ‘sports events’. There are those events which take place on a yearly basis, for example the Tour Ta’ Malta event or the Malta Marathon. Then there are those events which will be on a rotation through a number of countries including Malta. Such events are possible through the continuous lobbying of sports associations found in Malta, who bid and fight in order to be able to host the event in Malta. For further information on the bed night scheme please visit this link.

Since Malta can cater for many different sport disciplines, from football to waterpolo, basketball to polo, this is an ideal situation for training camps, which is the last category of identified sports tourist. Due to the favourable weather in Malta, training camps can take place at any time of the year, in fact we have seen that in the past few winters that football teams have come down from Italy for winter training camps.

The MTA together with the Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport, provided associations with an incentive to host events, through a scheme rewarding bed nights. Through this bed night scheme, Malta attracted over 80,000 bed nights through international sports events.

EU funded project

Sustainable Interregional Bike Tourism (SIBIT)

The Malta Tourism Authority, together with the Provinces of Agrigento, Ragusa, Caltanissetta, Trapani and Siracusa, the Polo Universitario and the Local Councils’ Association have pooled some of their resources and, following extensive discussions which took place in Malta and Sicily, it was agreed that EU funding will be sought to enable all parties involved to promote bike tourism.

The SIBIT project created over 1000km of new cycling routes throughout Malta/Gozo and Sicily. Malta and Gozo have benefited from 3 new routes, 2 in Malta and 1 in Gozo. These routes combine a fun cycling experience together with some interesting points of attraction, which could be a natural attraction or a cultural one. For more information relating to the SIBIT project, please visit the website www.medinbike.com.

Cruise Lining

It comes as no surprise that major cruise liners have taken the Maltese Islands very seriously in the last few years. With its perfect central Mediterranean position and a magnificent deep natural Grand

Harbour, the Port of Valletta has already surpassed targets and expectations for the Cruise Industry in Malta in 2008 with over 540,000 passengers passing through the Cruise terminal. As a result of pure hard work, teamwork with local trade and international marketing efforts, the Seatrade ‘Insider Awards’ event presented ‘Malta Tourism Authority & Malta the prestigious trophy for Destination of The Year in December 2008.

All major cruise liners are now visiting the Islands in one way or another. Major Cruise Companies have become one of the Maltese Islands most important regular clients. With direct flight connections from all major E.U. Cities to Malta International Airport, together with an average flying time of 2.5hours, Malta & Gozo are the ideal destinations to combine and Cruise & Stay holiday and great value for money for all. With its short internal island distances, a typical Mediterranean climate and an endless list of entertainment, cultural or sport & leisure possibilities to fill your day, Malta entices you to visit and return for longer, again and again.